Chapter 9: An Insatiable Wolf
Kimberly? Who was Kimberly? The name didn’t ring a bell. And when did I save her number?
As I was in a daze, someone pulled my phone away. Puzzled, I turned around, only to see Reynaldo standing behind me, wrapped in a towel. Then I realized something. It was his phone, and Kimberly was someone he knew.
I must remember to change my phone and ringtone so as not to mix our phones again.
Reynaldo walked to the window and answered, looking at me extremely meaningfully. Following his line of sight, I looked down at myself. In the next second, my expression changed as I grabbed the robe at the foot of the bed and put it on as quickly as I could. Then I sat on the bed and looked at him, trying my best to look calm. He looked away. But the faint smile playing on his lips gave him away—he seemed to be in a pretty good mood.
He said to the phone, “Alright. I’ll be there soon.” His tone was very gentle. I lowered my head dejectedly. Maybe Kimberly was his beloved. He was in such a great mood, and his voice was so tender when he talked to her. But when talking to me, he threw shade and laughed weirdly. I couldn’t help but sigh. Sure enough, he treated the one he loved and others differently.
He walked up to me while I was wandering. I looked up slowly. As I met his deep eyes, my heart somehow skipped a beat, fluttering. Scratching my head to ease my embarrassment, I asked him, “Are you heading out?” “Yeah.” He nodded while staring at me intently. His gaze gave me goosebumps. I said at once, “Go ahead then. Chill. I won’t go anywhere today.” He suddenly leaned down and bit my lip. I cried out in pain while he pinned me down on the bed.
“What do you want now?” He had just taken a shower. His hair was slightly damp and messy, and water droplets glistened on his bare chest. His eyes were dark and deep as he curled his thin lips slightly. Everywhere about him was raw, sexy, and I couldn’t help but swallow. He laced his fingers through mine and whispered in my ear, his voice hoarse, “Why don’t we do it again?” “You…” He was such an animal! He pulled open my robe and said righteously, “Seeing you like this turns me on again.” “You bastard!” I glared at him, feeling shy and embarrassed. What a phony. In the past, he had acted as if he were some gentleman with icy restraint. See? This was who he really was! A wolf in sheep’s clothing! An insatiable wolf! Though I didn’t exactly reject doing this with him, he was way too fierce. Maybe he had suppressed his physical desire for too long, but that didn’t give him an excuse to vent out like this. Besides, where was his beloved? Couldn’t she satisfy him?
As I thought of the name Kimberly, my heart ached. I knew I was just his lover and had no right to feel bitter. So, I tried my best to overlook my frustration, but I failed. In the end, I had to admit that I did care about her existence. As her name emerged in my mind, I no longer wanted him to touch me. I pushed his chest away and said flatly, “The woman who called you earlier is your beloved, right?” He frowned as a glint of confusion flashed across his eyes, seeming to ponder over my words. Soon, he smiled, “Why? Are you jealous?” “No.” Even if I was, I wouldn’t admit it. I knew he was doing all this to get back at me now. If I admitted that I was jealous, it’d be the same as admitting I had feelings for him. Gee, I didn’t want to be laughed at. I said flatly, “You told her you’d be with her soon, right? Then what are you waiting for? She may get upset if you keep her waiting for a long time.” Immediately, he frowned, his expression darkening. Then he let out a derisive laugh. “You can’t wait to see me with her?” I was utterly speechless. Could he be any more unreasonable? I couldn’t wait to see him with her? He was the one who wanted to be with her, OK? Would he stay here if I told him not to leave? I was just his lover, and he hated me so much that he insisted on getting back at me. How could he possibly stay just because of me?
As I was mocking myself inwardly, he suddenly sat up. Then he lit a cigarette and said coldly, “You want me to go out so that you can go see Winston again?” “What? No! Stop imagining things, OK?” People said women were suspicious and paranoid. That was because they had never met him. He snorted and leaned against the window, smoking, no longer saying a word. Then again, he emitted that intimidating aura, warning others to stay away from him. It baffled me even until now. He was such a scheming, ruthless monster; how the heck did he manage to act so meek and obedient in the past? It all felt like a dream.
After Reynaldo left, I finally breathed a sigh of relief and flopped onto the bed. He was so unpredictable now, making it impossible to serve him well. I wondered when he’d stop getting back at me and dump me.
Soon, it was evening. The servants began to get dinner ready. Madisyn stared at me, wanting to say something but didn’t. Noticing that, I asked her what was up. She pulled me, advising me earnestly to coax Reynaldo properly. She said she noticed the sullen look on his face when he had left in the afternoon and was worried I’d be punished by him again when he came back. She said, “Men are creatures that need to be coaxed. Your life will be much easier if you please him, Ms. Duffy. After all, you were so cruel to him in the past.” I pulled out a wry smile. Had I really treated him that badly? Madisyn actually called me cruel? I couldn’t help but sigh. But, come to think of it, she had a point. If I pleased Reynaldo, maybe he would no longer be pissed at me. With his hatred for me gone, maybe he’d let me off and ask me to get lost. With such a thought, I rolled up my sleeves and went to the kitchen. Under the servants‘ guidance, I managed to fix some proper dishes. Putting them on the table, I took out my phone, pulled up the chat interface with Reynaldo, and texted him, “When are you coming back?” Then, as usual, I sent him a cute emoji. This time, it took him several minutes to reply. “I’m not coming back.” I curled my lip. Fine. Suit himself. But the thought that he was with Kimberly made me bitter. I tried my best to get rid of those negative emotions and asked Madisyn and the other servants to sit down with me and eat. This was my first time cooking, and my food ought not to go to waste, or I might lose the motivation to cook ever again. However… Madisyn spat out the food right after she took a bite and sighed at me, “Ms. Duffy, since you’re cooking for Mr. Humphrey, maybe you should really put some thought into it.” I snapped, “I did! Can’t you see? I got two blisters cooking for him!” She shook her head helplessly. “Then how could you mistake sugar for salt?” “What?” “Try it yourself,” she sighed. I put a piece of fish into my mouth skeptically. Damn! It was so fishy and sweet without the slightest bit of saltiness. It was terrible! She sighed again, “You should be glad he’s not coming back tonight, or he would have been furious.” I said nothing in response. Looking at those dishes that seemed delicious, I started to deeply reflect on myself. Suddenly, the landline rang. The housekeeper called out to me, “Ms. Duffy, it’s for you.” I stood up, puzzled. Who could it be? Why didn’t they call my cell?